Current events aren’t always easy to navigate as an adult, let alone as a child. That’s why Disney Junior just announced the launch of the new animated short series Rise Up, Sing Out.
The series aims to present critical concepts around race, racism and social justice for a pint-sized audience and will use music-based shorts to make the message resonate. To make the series even more impactful, Disney has recruited the talents of Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of the Grammy Award winning musical group, The Roots.
In a joint statement the two musicians said, “It is an honor to work with the Disney Junior team to help create a series of shorts that will empower and uplift the future generations in the way we know best, through music. We hope these shorts will encourage the young audience to recognize and celebrate our differences as human beings while learning the tools to navigate real-world issues of racial injustice.”
That’s not all—The Conscious Kid, an organization dedicated to equity and healthy racial identity development is serving as a consultant on the series and plans to develop a viewing companion guide for parents. Latoya Raveneau, who is involved with the upcoming The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder will serve as executive producer.
You’ll be able to watch later this year on all Disney Junior platforms.
Check your kid’s scooter. Jakk’s Pacific is recalling MorfBoard Skate & Scoot Combo scooters with “Y” handlebars. The “Y” handlebar joint on the scooter can break, posing a fall hazard.
This recall involves Morfboard Skate & Scoot Combo scooters with “Y” handlebars. The skateboard system has interchangeable parts that convert into a scooter. The scooter is created by inserting the “Y” handlebar into the base board. The scooters were sold in a variety of colors, including cyan (blue), chartreuse (yellow), lava (red) and mint (green). An 8-character alphanumeric manufacturing date code is located on the bottom side of each skate deck that is sold as part of the Skate & Scoot Combo. Only scooters with the following manufacturing date codes are included in the recall: 0049VE01, 0128VE01, 0238VE01, 0328VE01, 0598VE01, 0718VE01, 0878VE01, 1068VE01, 1168VE01, 1278VE01, 1458VE01, 1508VE01,1598VE01, 1858VE01, 2068VE01, 2328VE01, 2398VE01, 2478VE01, 2548VE01, 2508VE01, 2568VE01, 2958VE01, 3198VE01, 3258VE01, 3537VE01, 3628VE01.
Consumers should immediately take these recalled scooters with the “Y” handlebars away from children and contact Jakks Pacific to receive a free replacement “T” handlebar.
The company has received 18 reports of the “Y” handlebars breaking with one injury when a child fell resulting in a bloody nose.
These scooters were sold at Walmart, Target, Toys R Us, Meijer, BJ’s Wholesale Club stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com and morfboard.com from February 2018 through August 2020 for about $100.
Consumers can contact Jakks Pacific online at www.jakks.com and click on “Safety Notices” at the bottom of the page or toll-free at 855-602-5464 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Mon. through Fri. for more information.
Your baby becomes calm when in your arms but is there more to it than just knowing you are near? A new study led by researchers at University College London (UCL) and York University, Canada shows being held by a parent with skin-to-skin contact reduces how strongly a newborn baby’s brain responds to a painful medical jab. The scientists report in the European Journal of Pain that there was more activity in the brains of newborn babies in reaction to the pain when a parent was holding them through clothing, than without clothing.
Joint senior author, Dr Lorenzo Fabrizi from UCL Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology said, “We have found when a baby is held by their parent, with skin-on-skin contact, the higher-level brain processing in response to pain is somewhat dampened. The baby’s brain is also using a different pathway to process its response to pain. While we cannot confirm whether the baby actually feels less pain, our findings reinforce the important role of touch between parents and their newborn babies.”
The study involved 27 infants, 0-96 days old and born premature or at term age, at University College London Hospitals. The researchers were measuring their response to a painful but clinically required heel lance (blood test). Brain activity was recorded with EEG (electroencephalography) electrodes placed on the scalp.
The babies were either held by their mother skin-to-skin (wearing a diaper, against their mother’s chest), or held by their mother with clothing, or else lying in a cot or incubator (most of these babies were swaddled).
The researchers found that the initial brain response to the pain was the same, but as the heel lance elicited a series of four to five waves of brain activity, the later waves of activity were impacted by whether the baby was held skin-to-skin or with clothing.
Joint senior author, Professor Rebecca Pillai Riddell from the Department of Psychology, York University, Canada said, “The slightly delayed response was dampened if there was skin contact with their mother, which suggests that parental touch impacts the brain’s higher level processing. The pain might be the same, but how the baby’s brain processes and reacts to that pain depends on their contact with a parent. Our findings support the notion that holding a newborn baby against your skin is important to their development.”
The brains of the babies that remained in the cot or incubator also reacted less strongly to the pain than those held in clothing, but the researchers say that may be because the babies were not disrupted by being picked up before the procedure, or else due to the success of the sensitive, individualized care they were provided.
The babies’ behavior was not significantly different between the groups, although the skin-to-skin group did exhibit slightly reduced responses in terms of facial expression and heart rate. Other studies have found that skin-to-skin contact with a parent does affect baby behavior, and may reduce how strongly they react to pain, but those studies did not investigate the brain response.
In the current study, the babies’ brain responses were not only dampened in the skin-to-skin group, but also followed a different neural pathway.
First author, Dr. Laura Jones from UCL Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology said, “Newborn babies’ brains have a high degree of plasticity, particularly those born preterm, and their development is highly dependent on interactions with their parents. Our findings may lend new insights into how babies learn to process threats, as they are particularly sensitive to maternal cues.”
Co-author Dr. Judith Meek from University College London Hospitals said, “Parents and clinicians have known for many years how important skin to skin care is for babies in NICU. Now we have been able to demonstrate that this has a solid neurophysiological basis, which is an exciting discovery.”
The study was funded by the Medical Research Council (UK) and the International Association for the Study of Pain.
Congrats are in order for Frankie Muniz and Paige Price. On Saturday the couple revealed they are expecting their first child. The sweet video announcement can be seen on their joint YouTube channel.
In a video titled “Frankie & Paige are having a baby!” the soon-to-be-parents are seen dancing in a field and sharing clips from their trip through Jackson, Wyoming. In a sweet voiceover, Frankie shared their happy news.
“In the past four-and-a-half years, Paige and I have experienced so many incredible things together,” Frankie began. “We’ve traveled the world, got to live out all these once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. While we still believe it’s the little moments in between the big ones that make you feel happiest, nothing quite compares to the first time hearing your little one’s heartbeat.”
Price also posted an announcement on her Instagram page. Looks like Baby Muniz will be arriving in March 2021.
Since Red Tricycle was acquired by Tinybeans in February 2020, the combined brands have been hard at work building new products and resources to support and engage our joint community of parents.
Today, we are happy to announce the launch of The Hive influencer platform. The Hive taps into Red Tricycle and Tinybeans users who are bloggers or social media influencers to help amplify their voice, grow their audience and offer monetization opportunities through both Tinybeans and Red Tricycle’s relationships with national brand partners including Kraft, Amazon and LEGO.
Hive influencers are a collection of moms (and dads) who represent are crushing it in the parenting world on their own terms. Think you might want to join the Hive?
Parents who have a blog with 25K unique monthly views or social media following over 5K are encouraged to submit their application through this page: tinybeans.go-vip.net/thehive
Benefits to participating in The Hive Influencer program include being featured in Red Tricycle and in Tinybeans, links and promotion of your social channels and blog, invitations to exclusive events, free tickets to VIP parties, and paid opportunities to work with our brand partners on national campaigns.
Pizza is a favorite meal in most households––even considered its own food group by kids! We’ve put together a curated list of where to get the very best pizza for delivery (or pick-up), and every one of these pizzas has been taste tested and comes highly recommended by families. This supreme list includes at least one recommendation in every corner of San Diego, so you’ll be sure to find the perfect pie in your part of town. Phone numbers are included for your convenience, so dial up your nearest pizza delivery joint and support local restaurants while providing some delicious comfort food for your family.
This Hillcrest pizzeria has a cult following and is at the top of this list because it comes in as the most recommended pizza joint in town. It’s a simple place with NY-style thin-crust pies and calzones, but its loyal fans keep going back again and again. Unfortunately, they don’t deliver and it’s a cash only, pick-up only spot.
111 Washington St. Hillcrest 619-291-3341 Online: bronxpizza.com
Committed to quality ingredients like fresh vegetables and sliced meats every day since 1978, this is a family favorite all around. Mountain Mike’s is a pinnacle in pizza and luckily you don’t have to go too far to find one nearby.
This fun pizza house has a devoted fanbase from all around. They have a new Stay at Home Family Dinner Special for $29 that includes: 1 large topping pizza, 1 pasta choice (spaghetti, vodka sauce penee or chicken pesto penne), 1 salad (house or Caesar) and 2 garlic knots. That’s a great deal for a great meal!
Little Italy is where you go for a good Italian meal and pizza is no exception. There are several pizzerias in Little Italy, but the Neapolitan-style pies from Isola’s were recommended more than all the others on the block.
When a place has been featured on Diner’s, Drive-ins & Dives not once, but twice, that’s where you get your pizza from! Hot NY-style pies and calzones are made daily at three locations.
Authentic and award-winning Neapolitan-style pizza is why this place comes so highly recommended. It’s a small family owned shop that keeps getting better with each of their expansions. Their ovens are even hand made with hand-pressed bricks and clay oven floors direct from Italy to ensure uniform baking. Now that’s some pizza amore!
Sure we’ve all had pizza for breakfast at one time, but have you ever had a breakfast pizza? It’s topped with bacon and eggs! This is Coronado residents’ go-to spot for hand-tossed pizza and other Italian specialties. Their Military Mondays have been extended to include all First Responders, and Frontliners will get 50% off any large pizza available.
1206 Orange Ave. Coronado / near the Hotel Del 619-522-0449
If you’ve had the Love Pie dessert pizza you’d know that pizza doesn’t have to be just for dinner. Like it’s peace ‘n love namesake, Woodstock serves up some groovy vegan options and sweet CinnaBread dessert pies. Gluten free and cauliflower crusts are available.
6145 El Cajon Blvd. College area/SDSU 619-265-0999 Online: woodstockssd.com
New Haven-style pizza made over a coal fire is one of my family’s favorites! With their craft pizza combinations like fried eggplant, their famous garlic mashed potato & bacon and even a vegan pie, they’ve got something for everyone. Their polpetta (meatball) pie is my family’s personal favorite.
When a pizza place has been making pies for over 60 years, you know it has to be good! They’ve put together some special family meal deals with their pizza and pasta so call to ask what the specials are for the day. They have discounts for military on Mondays and for police every day.
You’ve never had pizza like this before. Some call it a Mexican Pizza Revolution! They’ve combined Mexican and Italian flavors to create some truly unique pizzas like their birria, bistec or adobada pork pizzas. Top it off or dip them into freshly made salsas created specifically to pair with each pizza.
A San Diego classic Italian restaurant since 1947 has to be good to have that much staying power. It’s still owned and operated by the entire family and they’ve expanded to 12 SoCal and 2 NorCal locations.
Family owned Italian joint priced right and serving thick-crust pizzas, pasta & subs. The owner grew up working at famed Fillipi’s Pizza Grotto where he met his wife. Fillipi’s shared their recipes, menu and blessings with them to open up their own restaurant in Vista and it has been a local favorite since 1986.
Amid the pandemic, everyone is finding new ways to make time spent safe at home useful. For Jacob Jordon, a senior at Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy, that meant starting a business.
The 20-year-old found himself home in Maine with a housing refund and wanted to put it good use, so he started The Equal Opportunity Book Box! The monthly subscription box helps low-income children who don’t have access to books in a big way.
Not only does the program help expand representation in children’s literature, but for every book sold, the Equal Opportunity Book Box donates one book to someone in need. Recently, the company has become supported by the non-profit organization, We Need Diverse Books, which focuses on publishing diversity and the two plan on delivering joint content in the future.
The Equal Opportunity Book Box is ideal for children ages one to six, and offers one, three, six and twelve-month subscriptions starting at $34.95. Each box comes with three high-quality, diverse picture books on the tenth of every month.
These are some wild times we are living in, that’s for sure! Our crew of Bay Area writers wanted to share with you some of their favorite local businesses, spots for dinner delivery and things for kids to do while everyone is at home. Scroll through to read what we’re up to and support your favorite local businesses today!
The Butterfly Joint
Erin Feher (mom to two kids, ages 6 and 2) has been cooking up a storm with stellar ingredients from Other Avenues Co-Op in the Outer Sunset and weekly fresh, local fish deliveries from Sea Forager CSF, every once in a while treating everyone (herself, really) to take out from favorites Emmy's Spaghetti Shack and Hook Fish Co. Kids are kept very busy thanks to dad, who also happens to be the founder of The Butterfly Joint, a woodworking studio for kids that is offering at-home woodworking projects via local kit delivery and online instruction. Also, ALL the puzzles from Mapamundi Kids.
Kathleen Mikulis
Kathleen Mikulis and her 10-year-old twins are enjoying the Los Altos scene, starting with amazing New York quality pies from State of Mind Pizza (with curbside pick-up). She also likes Linden Tree Books, a kid-friendly bookstore offering online story times and book clubs as well as free shipping for orders over $25. Tuesday, or better yet—Teasday—is the highlight of everyone's week with an afternoon boba tea delivery from Teaspoon.
Nella DuBon-Koch, mother of two daughters ages 10 and 6, has been taking mommy chef breaks by supporting Wok King in San Rafael, Sol Food, Rocco’s and High Tech Burrito in Mill Valley. Her minis have been staying busy with daily classes by Youth in Arts and West America Tae Kwon Do. She is looking forward to becoming an emergency foster to a pet in need through stayhomeandfoster.org and is thankful she can count on her local-family owned pet store, Critterland, for all her pet supply needs. Meanwhile, she continues to “howl” with her community in SIP solidarity and gratitude for all the essential workers keeping us afloat during our current times.
Mae Respicio (mom of two kids, ages 10 and 12) has been guzzling ice cream while perusing beautiful pieces by local artisan Sarah Richardson of Sarah Richardson Jewelry, to figure out grandmother presents for Mother’s Day. Up next on her family’s reading list is The Fabled Life of Aesop by local kids’ author Ian Lendler, and the book that Mae is recommending to her mom friends over Zoom and wine (and possibly more ice cream) is Kept Animals, by local novelist Kate Milliken.
Sonia Gandiaga is surviving on amazing coffee from Andytown (free delivery and discounts) and natural wine from Broc Cellars (free delivery to East Bay, SF and Marin). When she needs to restock her reading material, she places an order with Green Apple Books or Black Bird. While in-person brunching has been put on hold, Sonia loves to place a pick-up order with BoaVida and for a real treat she grabs pick up from Michelin-star rated Atelier Crenn.
We’re looking for talented Bay Area-based writers with the skills to hype up the newest kid-friendly joint. You know which neighborhoods and suburbs have family destinations that are worth the trip, where and when a kid-centric pop-up shop will be open, best free and cheap things to do around town and more! Most importantly though, you’re a local Bay Area parent, with kids ages 0-10, who is passionate about defining and setting the family scene in the area. Think you fit the bill? Then Red Tricycle wants you! Ideal candidates must:
• Love going out on adventures with your kids and be in the know about family destinations like family friendly openings, creative museum spaces, pop-up shops, kiddie events and more
• Have a firm grasp of the English language, excellent grammar and punctuation skills.
• Be active in the writing and blogging community with published work (either print or online).
• Possess an intense curiosity and excitement to explore the city and dig deep (both online and in the real world) to find off-the-beaten-path story ideas and insider tips.
• Be active on social media, whether it’s Instagram, Facebook, Twitter or all the above!
About Red Tricycle:
Red Tricycle fuels the parenting universe with daily inspiration for family fun. We believe the best memories are created when families do fun things together and we believe every day is an opportunity to create new stories. Our mission is to help every parent feel like a rock star by inspiring them to do fun things with their kids. Each month Red Tricycle reaches 30 million parents with ideas that are aspirational and actionable that you can do at home, in your city or wherever your adventures take you.
To apply Email Us at Kate (at) tinybeans.go-vip.net your cover letter, resume, and writing sample/content link with “Bay Area Writer” in the subject line.
Who isn’t all in for a completely cute newborn photo shoot—especially when the subject is In-N-Out Burger? Belly Beautiful Portraits’ Karen Marie recently posted In-N-Out Burger-themed pics on Instagram, and they’re awesomely aww-dorable.
If you’re wondering how this French fry-filled photo shoot happened, the newborn’s parents met while working at the fave burger joint, according to the photographer’s IG post.
Unlike other newborn photo shoot backdrops, this one didn’t involve a mural-like scene or pink and blue flowers. Instead, the photographer filled the frame with 20 orders of burgers and fries.
When asked how she managed to get through the shoot without sneaking a few of those famous fries, the photographer answered, on IG, “Because my trainer/coach would make me do 30 min more cardio… and I hate cardio lol.”
